


Honeymoon Period

by ThisQueenShallConquer



Series: Growing Together [2]
Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Established Relationship, F/M, PSTD, mentions of the other crows, part of a series but can be read on its own
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-05 09:51:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15168077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThisQueenShallConquer/pseuds/ThisQueenShallConquer
Summary: Kaz Brekker may not be a good man, but, her father was right, he was worthy of her.





	Honeymoon Period

Inej awoke far earlier than she would have liked. She squinted, thick lashes shielding her eyes from the sunlight streaming in through the windows. The bright silks of the curtains transformed the muffled rays of light into vivid jewel-tones. Reds, purples and oranges, bled together across the floor of the caravan in a kaleidoscope of colour.

She was still wearing her dress from the night before. Her embodied silks weighing heavy against her skin as she stretched out her legs, her feet brushing against Kaz's calves as she willed feeling back into her limbs. 

Last night had been a late one. Dawn had already begun to break as the celebration wound down, and they were finally sent off to bed by their guests. Inej had been dead on her feet as they made their procession back to camp, grateful for Kaz's arm in hers, and for her young cousins, who carried her train with great care through the long grasses. 

Inej cast her eyes around the unfamiliar surroundings. The caravan wasn't entirely alien to her, she recognised her mother's hand in each of the embroidered cushions, noted her father's craftsmanship in each item of furniture. Even the smell was familiar, dried blossoms and incense - it was the scent of her childhood. But this caravan was far larger than the one she'd grown up in. Her parents' caravan had been passed down through her mother's side, the interior cramped but cosy, the exterior worn but well-loved. _This_ was unlike anything Inej had ever seen, the space large and airy in a way that seemed impossible from the outside looking in. The bed had never been slept in, the stove never used, the wood polished and expertly carved. It was beautiful, better than anything Inej felt she deserved. 

Guilt swirled inside her stomach. Her parents were far too generous. If she had known they would waste their savings on a gift for her - well, she couldn't truly be mad at them, not when it was in their nature to be so kind. It was customary, for the Suli to present their daughter with a gift on her wedding night, but earlier that morning, when her parents guided them back to their new home, Inej had nearly been bowled clean over by the gesture. She had gaped openly, her hand tracing the smooth wooden panels that made up the facade, her long crimson train carving a path through the wild grass behind her. 

"Do you not like it?" her father had asked in Suli, his concern etched across his wrinkled face. He was older now than the last time she'd visited, his face more lined, his hair greying around the temples. Her parents would never begrudge Inej her freedom, of that she knew, but that didn't stop her from feeling sorry about her absence. 

Inej shook her head, golden jewellery jangling loudly. "It's perfect, Papa" she had smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. He was tall and willowy, the perfect build for an acrobat. "I just wish you had spent the money on yourselves." 

He pulled back with a smile, tucking several loose strands behind her ear. "Your mother and I, we've had more time to save up than most." Inej had coloured slightly at that, at twenty-nine she was a very old bride indeed, most Suli girls were wed before they saw their eighteenth birthday. "We never stopped saving, not even when.....," he swallowed down the emotion in his throat, Inej did the same. "We always had faith that one day we would get to see you in your bridal silks." 

Inej had smiled until her cheek ached, tears gathering in her eyes. They would not spend much time here, not between Ketterdam and _The Wraith_ , but her parents had created a space for them, for her and Kaz both. 

"He is a worthy man" her father had remarked, his gaze flicking to where Kaz was conversing with her mother in Kerch. "A little....unconventional, but worthy of you." 

Not good, or moral, or pious. _Worthy_. Kaz Brekker was a murderer and a thief, he was a sinner and an unrepentant one at that. But Inej could not imagine marrying anyone else. He knew her favourite song and her favourite flower. But he also knew her well-enough to buy her a boat rather than a bouquet. 

She was the first Ghafa to marry outside the close-knit circle of Suli families, but how could she ever find happiness with another man? No-one else, Suli or not, could understand her the way he did. Kaz knew how to soothe her after a nightmare, knew when to hold her, and when to give her space. He did not pass judgement on her, or want more than she was willing to give. 

Kaz Brekker may not be a good man, but, her father was right, he was worthy of her. 

She felt the rise and fall of his chest beneath her cheek, still fast asleep and fully-clothed. Instead of consummating their marriage like most couples, they had kicked off their shoes and collapsed on the bed, far too weary to even bother changing into their night clothes, never mind anything else. A sure sign they were getting old. 

She watched his profile in the early morning light, the pale scars cutting across his even paler skin, the slight bump on the bridge of his nose where it had once been broken in a brawl. Inej bit her lip. Kaz Brekker had aged like a fine wine, only getting more handsome with age. The faint lines congregating around his mouth and the corners of his eyes did nothing to dampen his good-looks, a fact even her family had taken note of. 

"You have done well for yourself, cousin" Amara had said the previous morning, as she wove delicate flowers between the strands of Inej's braid. She was more than a little impressed that Amara could style hair while bouncing a baby on her hip. "I wish I had had the good sense to go looking for a husband in Kerch," her cousin had sighed wistfully, ignoring the way Inej rolled her eyes in the mirror. 

"Not all Kerch men are like him, you know," Inej had responded wryly. 

"Pity," Amara let out another dramatic sigh, before pressing a kiss to her older cousin's temple. She cocked her hip, assessing her work in the mirror, reminding Inej of Nina in the mischievous way she grinned. "You'll knock him off his feet!" She declared with a flourish. 

That wouldn't be such an impressive feat considering Kaz only had one good leg. But, Inej had to admit, as she walked down the aisle towards her soon-to-be-husband, that Kaz looked rather dashing in the white silks of a Suli groom. 

And if he had learned a little harder on his cane upon seeing her, Inej was polite enough to not bring it up. 

She was too lost in thought to notice the change in his breathing or the flutter of his eyelids. "Wife" he greeted, his voice a deep rasp, his arm tightening around her waist. Inej lifted her head, resting her chin against his ribs, her lips curving into a grin. "Husband," she returned, warmth flooding her chest. 

He made to stretch out his bad leg, his limbs unfurling like a cat sprawled out beneath the sun. Inej chuckled as he groaned, his joints cracking, his eyes squeezing shut. She drummed her index finger against his solar plexus, once and then twice. A silent question. 

Although they had slept side-by-side, their legs intertwined, they still had their bad days. Days where the cold water would rise around Kaz no matter how much he'd grown used to her touch. Days where the slightest brush of his fingertips could make her feel as if she were about to disappear. On those nights, they would sleep far apart in their bed at the Slat, a pillow propped between them as a barrier - Unable to touch, but unwilling to be apart entirely. 

The scars they had would never fade completely, no matter how much time passed. This was their way of asking, the drumming of fingers against clothed skin - a silent inquiry about the other's well-being. 

Coffee coloured eyes met hers, and Kaz took her hand in his bare one, bringing it up to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. It was a sweet gesture, one that might even be expected between newlyweds, but, for them, it was also an answer. 

It seemed as though today was going to be one of their good ones. 

Inej smiled contently, basking in the sleepy silence that enveloped them. She'd happily fall back to sleep wrapped in his arms, but her curious mind couldn't help but wonder. "You disappeared last night," she hummed, toying with the loose fitting neckline of his shirt. 

The party had been a crowded affair. Inej hardly recognised most of the people crammed beneath the golden canopy of the tent. It seemed as though every Suli family in West Ravka had come to see the infamous Inej Ghafa finally tie the knot. If there was one thing the Suli loved, it was a good wedding. 

"Crowds aren't exactly my thing," he murmured, his fingers rubbing small circles through the fabric at her waist. Inej snorted. Kaz wasn't exactly the best at socialising, even among the Dregs, he had always kept to himself. Inej just hoped he hadn't spent the evening brooding in some dark corner. Especially when she'd been forced to make small-talk with distant relatives she barely knew. 

"Where did you go?" 

"I was with your father," he explained, his expression distracted as his eyes roamed over the bare skin of her shoulder. Inej did not squirm under his approving gaze, if anything, she revelled in it. It had been a week since they'd arrived in Ravka, and this was the first time they had been left alone together. While she had found her family's desire to protect her virtue amusing at first, it had gotten old very quickly. They practically lived on top of one another in the Slat, and Kaz had stayed in the Captain's quarters with her during their long journey across the True Sea. But the less her relatives knew about that, the better. Espeacially since she'd been the one to take his _'virtue'_. 

"Oh?" Inej arched a thick brow. As tempting as it was to press closer to him, she couldn't help but wonder what had transpired between Kaz and her father. She knew he approved of the match, but...Inej always liked to err on the side of caution. "What did you talk about?" 

"You," Kaz explained unhelpfully, leaning closer, his lips brushing against her collarbones. Inej's toes curled, her breath sticking inside her throat - he wasn't playing fair. 

_"Kaz,"_ she scolded unconvincingly. She tried to ignore the need the burned under her skin, pulling up her shawl tight around her, cutting off his access to her bronzed skin. 

"He made me promise to keep you safe," Kaz huffed in irritation. It seemed he had weathered their separation as poorly as she had. "Or at least I think he did, my Suli isn't the best." Inej had trouble believing that. Kaz picked up new skills with an infuriating amount of ease. She hadn't been all that surprised when he managed to say his vows in perfect, accent-less Suli. 

"Was that all?" Inej asked sceptically, propping up her chin on her hand. 

"Just that he'd murder me if I ever hurt you," he drawled with a wry smile and a shrug. Inej winced. While her father's efforts were appreciated, there was no way of Arjun Ghafa beating Kaz Brekker in any sort of fight. 

"And what did you say?" 

Kaz didn't respond at first, his fingers reaching up to undo the ribbon at the end of her hair, releasing her long-since redundant braid. His fingers smoothed through her strands, his lips quirking. He always liked it best when she wore it loose. "I told him that if I were ever stupid enough to cross you, that you were more than capable of killing me yourself." 

"How romantic," Inej bit back a grin. 

"Should I not have?" 

"No," Inej shook her head, silencing him with a kiss as she leaned over him, her hair falling like a curtain around them, her shawl sliding down her arms and away from her shoulders. "I like that you know how deadly I am," she grinned, showing her teeth. 

Kaz had never underestimated her, not even when she'd just been a frightened girl, quaking in the middle of Tante Heleen's parlour. _You’re obviously dangerous_. He had been right, _she_ had proven him right. 

"Only a fool would think otherwise." 

"These days I might be even more feared than you," she smirked, her fingers brushing over the perfect line of his cheekbone. 

His lips twitched. “Let's not get carried away, Wraith"

"That's Mrs Rietveld to you" she corrected with a smile, before capturing his mouth in a heated kiss. His hands were at her waist, in her hair, pulling her close until no space remained between them. The kiss was anything but chaste, it had been much too long since they'd been able to touch like this. They no longer had to worry about upholding outdated Suli traditions, or the prying eyes of well-meaning relatives. 

But, as Kaz made to roll her over onto her back, Inej had to temporally put a stop to proceedings, pushing him against the mattress by his shoulders. "Not on your bad leg" she reprimanded, straddling his hips instead, enjoying the scowl she received in return. He'd pushed himself too hard yesterday setting up the wedding, she didn't want him to do himself any more damage. "You need to be more careful, you're not as young -"

"Don't say it," he groused stubbornly, his hands fisting in the fabric at her waist, hiking her skirts up her thighs. Age was a sore topic for The Bastard of the Barrel, ever since he'd been forced to invest in a pair of wire-rimmed reading glasses. Jesper could mock him for it all he liked, Inej thought they made him look distinguished. 

A sly smile and few rolls of her hips soon banished any ill thoughts from his head, and Inej took another moment to admire her new husband. He looked up at her, his pupils blown wide against the dark backdrop of his irises. It had been fifteen years since their first meeting, thirteen since they first held hands, eleven since their first kiss. Their marriage had been a long time in the making, and yet, Inej's heart still ached with the way he looked at her – it was like he never wanted to turn away. 

Her mouth trailed along his jaw, her hands pushing under his shirt to rest against the firm muscles of his chest. His skin was warm, his pulse fast beneath her touch, his bare hands running up the length of his thighs. If this was married life, Inej could get used to it. She might even be tempted to make it official in Kerch, too. 

Their marriage would mean nothing under the eyes of Ghazen of the Merchant Council. It was a fact that never bothered Inej, she was a pirate, legality meant nothing to her anymore. But, as Kaz pressed his lips against her temple, her cheek, her jaw, Inej had no qualms about marrying him a second, or even a third time if he asked nicely. 

They may not even have a choice, if Jesper and Nina were to find out the true cause for their trip to Ravka, she and Kaz would be having a shot-gun wedding in Ketterdam before the month was out. They had wanted a quiet ceremony among Inej's family, where no information could get back to their enemies in the Barrel. But now, Inej couldn't say she's adverse to the idea of having a wedding back home, surrounded by their friends. It would surely be worth it, just to see little Marya dressed up as a bridesmaid. 

Kaz's movements haltered as his hands found the knives strapped to the insides of her thighs. Inej had clicked her tongue impatiently, moving to undo the straps and let her beloved weapons join the growing pile of clothing on the floor. But Kaz stopped her with a grin. 

"Leave them on," he rasped against her throat, and Inej felt her whole body quake. 

_Oh Saints,_ she had never loved him more. 

**Author's Note:**

> Got a little steamier towards the end than I initially planned ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Anyway, I'm just a sucker for future Kanej, Part Three coming soon!
> 
> [My tumblr](http://thisqueenshallconquer.tumblr.com/)


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